Tangerang Selatan, June 12, 2026 — Bullying in schools continues to cast a shadow over elementary education in Indonesia. In response to this challenge, Universitas Terbuka (UT) Jakarta has reaffirmed that its commitment to strengthening the nation’s character extends far beyond distance learning and virtual classrooms.
Through its Community Service (Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat – PkM) Program , UT Jakarta partnered with the Faculty of Social Sciences at Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) to work directly with SDN Sukoharjo 1 in Malang City. Together, they launched an anti-bullying initiative using interactive, child-friendly educational media on Monday, June 8, 2026.
As part of this innovative collaboration, the two universities developed a specially designed storybook focused on character education and anti-bullying values. Combining engaging illustrations with simple narratives, the book was created to help elementary school students better understand empathy, respect, and positive peer relationships.
Siti Utami Dewi Ningrum, Chair of the Community Service Program and a lecturer in the Pancasila and Civic Education Study Program at UT’s Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences (FKIP), explained that the initiative builds upon research conducted under the BIMA program in 2025.
“Based on our assessment and feedback from the school principal, there was an urgent need for anti-bullying educational materials. Given the increasing number of bullying cases in Indonesia, children need to learn from an early age how to build healthy friendships and appreciate differences. That is why we developed this material in the form of a storybook,” she said.
In addition to introducing the storybook, the UT team, consisting of Mutia Kamalia Mukhtar, Nisa Arafia Tri Wulandari, Kusnadi, Ary Purwanti Ningsih, and Erna Risnawati, also donated educational equipment to support teaching and learning activities at the school.
This inclusive initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), which promotes inclusive and equitable education, and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), which advocates for safe, peaceful, and violence-free environments for children. By strengthening character education from the elementary level, the program contributes to creating safer and more inclusive learning environments for all students.
The program also featured Dr. Siti Awaliyah, S.Pd., M.Hum., an education expert from UM, who delivered an interactive session on character education directly to the students.
Murthofiatis Zahrok, S.Pd., M.AB., Principal of SDN Sukoharjo 1 Malang, welcomed the initiative and emphasized its positive impact. According to her, the involvement of higher education institutions such as UT and UM benefits not only students’ character development but also enhances teachers’ capacity to implement a healthier and more character-focused curriculum.
“This collaboration is highly valuable because it helps ensure that character education is truly integrated into both students’ personal development and teachers’ instructional practices. We hope initiatives like this will continue and inspire more universities to contribute to the future of children across the country,” Zahrok said.
